- The haircuts that help traumatised Ukrainian soldiers heal
- Sinner crushes Medvedev to set up potential Alcaraz Shanghai semi
- 7-Eleven owner restructures to fight takeover
- England's Harry Brook blasts triple century against Pakistan
- Chinese electric car companies cope with European tariffs
- Zelensky in London for whirlwind tour of Europe ahead of US vote
- Sri Lanka recovering faster than expected: World Bank
- Hong Kong, Shanghai rally as most markets track Wall St record
- Record-breaking Root, Brook both pass 200 as England pile up 658-3
- Football mourns Greek defender George Baldock's shock death at 31
- Uniqlo owner reports record annual earnings
- Hong Kong, Shanghai rally as markets track Wall St record
- Indonesia biomass drive threatens key forests: report
- Home is far away for Madagascar in AFCON qualifying
- Two months on, Donbas soldiers begin to question Kursk offensive
- Rugby Australia to counter-sue in dispute with Melbourne Rebels
- Mumbai mourns Indian industrialist Ratan Tata
- Philippines challenges China over South China Sea at ASEAN meet
- Mets advance on Lindor blast, Dodgers stay alive in MLB playoffs
- Injury-ravaged Krygios aiming to return at Australian Open
- Greek international Baldock, dead at 31: family
- EU talks deportation hubs to stem migration
- Deaths and repression sideline Suu Kyi's party ahead of Myanmar vote
- S. Africa offers a lesson on how not to shut down a coal plant
- China opens $71 bn 'swap facility' to boost markets
- Mets advance on Lindor grand slam, Yankees and Tigers win
- Taiwan President Lai vows to 'resist annexation' of island
- China's solar goes from supremacy to oversupply
- Asian markets track Wall St record as Hong Kong, Shanghai stabilise
- 'Denying my potential': women at Japan's top university call out gender imbalance
- China's central bank says opens up $70.6 bn in liquidity to boost market
- Zelensky on whirlwind tour of Europe ahead of US vote
- Youth facing unprecedented wave of violence, UN envoy warns
- 'A casino in every kitchen': Brazil's online gambling craze
- Nobel chemistry winner sees engineered proteins solving tough problems
- Lindor powers Mets past Phillies into NL Championship Series
- Wildlife populations plunge 73% since 1970: WWF
- 'Sleeper agent' bots on X fuel US election misinformation, study says
- Death toll rises to 109 after Haiti gang attack, official says
- Tigers beat Guardians and on brink of advancing in MLB playoffs
- Argentina MPs back Milei's veto of university funding
- Man City sink Barca in Women's Champions League as Bayern outgun Arsenal
- Greek international Baldock, 31, found dead in pool: state agency
- Florida seaside haven a ghost town as hurricane nears
- Pharrell Williams to co-chair Met Gala exploring Black dandyism
- Wall Street indices hit fresh records as Chinese shares tumble
- Taiwan's president to deliver key speech for National Day
- Sea row on the menu as ASEAN leaders meet China's Li
- Injured Kane won't start England's Nations League clash with Greece
- Discord seen as online home for renegades
Formidable Spain aim to deny France Olympic men's football gold
Thierry Henry's France are hoping a home crowd at the Parc des Princes can drive them on to win Olympic men's football gold but an impressive Spain side will attempt to deny them in Friday's final.
Henry, a France legend as a player, has led his country to the brink of their second football gold medal, 40 years after they won the title in Los Angeles.
That victory over Brazil came just a few weeks after the full French national team lifted their first major trophy by beating Spain on home soil in the final of Euro 84.
Just like then, the nations will meet at a packed Parc des Princes on Friday when a hostile home support will try to spur France on to victory.
They have already effectively fulfilled their objective by being guaranteed a medal, with Henry succeeding in moulding together a cohesive team after initially being met by a series of rejections from clubs unwilling to release their players.
Clubs have no obligation to let their players take part in the Olympics, where the men's tournament is reserved for those aged under 23 with the exception of three who are over-age.
Kylian Mbappe, the captain of the senior national side, wanted to come but was not allowed by his new club Real Madrid. Hopes of getting Antoine Griezmann onboard were quickly dashed.
The new Juventus midfielder Khephren Thuram was initially in the squad before being obliged to return to his employer.
But Les Bleus have been expertly led by the experienced Alexandre Lacazette and his fellow forwards, the bruising Jean-Philippe Mateta and the flying Michael Olise.
They won all three group games without conceding a goal, before seeing off Argentina 1-0 in a fiery quarter-final and then showing great character to come from behind and beat Egypt 3-1 after extra time in the last four.
"We have been talking about the Games for a year and a half now and finally we get to go to Paris," said Mateta, the Crystal Palace striker who netted twice against the Egyptians.
This may be the Paris Games, but so far Henry's team have played all their matches elsewhere around the country, in Marseille, Nice, Bordeaux and Lyon.
- Glorious Spanish summer -
Spain, meanwhile, began their campaign with a 2-1 win over Uzbekistan in Paris. After easing past Japan in Lyon in the last eight, they had to come from behind to beat Morocco 2-1 in their semi-final in Marseille.
That victory in front of a hostile crowd, achieved thanks to goals by the outstanding Barcelona midfielder Fermin Lopez and the substitute Juanlu Sanchez, will give Spain confidence that they can handle the crowd and the pressure in the French capital.
"It's another atmosphere that I will like," Lopez, who has scored four goals at the Olympics after helping Spain win Euro 2024, told FIFA.com.
"In any situation, we can overcome anything. Now we want to get the gold."
Coached by the former Atletico Madrid defender Santi Denia, Spain are aiming for a second men's football gold after triumphing in Barcelona in 1992 with a squad including Pep Guardiola and Luis Enrique.
They were silver medallists in Tokyo three years ago, but Spain's record more recently across the board in international football is remarkable.
The men's senior side won the European Championship just last month, following on from the women's team triumphing at the World Cup last year.
Less than two weeks ago they were the winners of the Under-19 Euros, and now they can complete a glorious summer with gold.
J.Williams--AMWN